novel philosophy

Author: Ali Rosen
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Published: 2023
Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary

It starts with a meet-cute. Stella is ready to spend time with her best friend’s new boyfriend, but she’s frustrated by the lateness of his friend. The friend arrives, and cue love at first sight. Well, maybe more like love at first conversation. Samuel dazzles that night connecting with each of her friends, and Stella can’t help but take notice. This typically guarded girl starts falling for a boy who seems to know her better than anyone else. She gets a little tipsy and makes the walk home accompanied by Samuel. She’s left with an almost kiss and the promise of a first date.

While Stella can’t help but adore Samuel, she has no time or interest in a relationship. She’s desperate to spend time with him but wants to keep it casual, with no strings attached. Samuel, on the other hand, wants a relationship. This tension carries them through a few dates with each maintaining their own perspective and refusing to find common ground. Stella prepares to head out of the country for college and whatever illusion they hold onto collapses. Their connection ends in a fight, both walking away devastated and heartbroken.

Flash forward 10 years, Stella travels to Italy for her best friend’s wedding. Yup, that boy from the beginning turned out to be a keeper. This ultra-extravagant wedding includes multiple ceremonies recognizing both cultures while tucked into the beautiful Italian countryside. The only problem? Samuel is attending, too.

10 years is a long time, but not long enough for Stella to forget Samuel. She struggles to have any type of serious relationship in the years following, realizing that no one can make her feel the way Samuel did. The question remains, does Samuel feel the same?

Key Themes

Second Chances
This one’s a bit obvious… I mean, it’s literally in the title. This book’s entire plot focuses on whether true love gets a second chance. I’ll let you read for yourself and find out.

Honesty and Expectation
The book parallels today’s Stella with her 10-years-ago self, and it’s in that past story that we see this theme.  While Stella and Samuel navigate their strong feelings for each other, they remain clear about what they want from the relationship. From day one, Stella tells Samuel that she’s not interested in a relationship. She’s headed out of the country in the fall and would be happy with nothing more than a summer fling. Samuel stays committed to the idea that Stella will at some point give in to something more. 

This is the constant tension that seems to exist between them. They each think or hope that the other will give in. While they clarified in the beginning, it seems that their time spent together makes them forget their original conversation or hope that they’ll win the other person over to their side. This eventually leads to disaster, as expected.

Quotes

“I let nervousness—or really the fear of nervousness and panic—stop me from moving forward.”

“That maybe he loves me, but I’m too much.”

“He shrugged. “No, I just believe in high-impact moments.” “What does that even mean?” “You have to know when the timing of something is significant. You can do every small thing right, but if you nail the high-impact moments, you’ll always be memorable. If you go really far out of your way when someone’s going through something difficult, or if you show up and cheer in their triumphs, they’ll remember it forever.”

Final Thoughts

This is a great weekend or even vacation read. I got to enjoy it sitting beside a pool and had it finished within a day or two. It’s your typical romantic comedy, so don’t expect too many plot twists along the way. The characters are lovely, and you’ll also get to witness strong female friendships that survive beyond their college years into adult life. I also loved the dual stories unfolding together, and there’s some proper tension building. By the end, I couldn’t help but hope these two ended up back together.

It was a surprising read that I recommend to anyone:

• Looking for a fun, light-hearted read.
• Who needs to download a bunch of options to their Kindle before heading on vacation.
• Who enjoys a classic, predictable but lovable Rom-Com.